


The Sound of Silence

by a1_kitkat



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Hurt Charles, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Slash, Prompt Fic, Protective Erik, X-Men First Class Kink Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-17
Updated: 2014-06-17
Packaged: 2018-02-05 01:22:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1800271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Xmen-First Kink prompt</p><p>Charles and Erik encounter a mutant who can take people's voices away but he can also block Charles's telepathy. One day everyone in the mansion wakes up to discover they can't speak and the mutant responsible has disappeared... or has he?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sound of Silence

**Author's Note:**

> Charles/OC, Charles/Erik - attempted non-con  
> Inspired by that one episode of Buffy with the Gentlemen.
> 
> During recruitment, Charles and Erik find a mutant who can take peoples' voices, forcing them into unwilling silence. It's a predatory type of power - victims cannot scream for help, etc - but because it's adaptive, it can also silence Charles' telepathy, which would be very useful against Emma. Since he comes across as fairly harmless, they take him back to HQ, and when that is destroyed, he tags along to the mansion.
> 
> One day everyone wakes up unable to speak. It's funny and goofy in a frustrating way to begin with; lots of awkward hand signals, writing notes that no one can read due to terrible handwriting, all the metal being bent out of shape as Erik gets more and more annoyed ... but soon it stops being funny. It's unsettling not being able to speak to anyone, and Charles feels suddenly isolated and helpless by having his telepathic abilities cut off. Worst of all, the mutant who caused this is missing.
> 
>  
> 
> Originally posted on livejournal October 6th 2011

Morale was starting to get low. Erik and Charles had been on the road for weeks and had only managed to recruit two mutants to their cause. Each time they came close to acquiring someone new, they would find themselves disappointed. Charles was trying not to let the disappointment get to him but it was hard.  
Erik was scanning a piece of paper, there was only one person left for them to approach. He tried to think positively, telling Charles that this time would be different.

Charles was hopeful as they walked down the deserted street. He could sense their target but something felt off about him. They walked in silence, Erik was becoming anxious. He stepped around Charles so he was walking along the road but the telepath didn’t say a word.  
Erik looked around but there was no one in sight.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Erik asked.  
“I can sense him, Erik” Charles replied very matter-of-factly. “Here…”

Charles approached what appeared to be an abandoned building. Erik looked dubious but followed the younger man inside. It was dark, dank and deserted.

“Hello?” Charles called into the empty room. “My name is Charles Xavier. We’re not here to harm you”  
“Unless you try to harm us first” Erik muttered.  
“Erik” Charles warned him.

There was a noise upstairs and both men stopped. Erik clenched his fists, ready for an attack but nothing happened. Charles led the way out of the room and moved towards the staircase.  
Erik followed close behind but Charles stopped almost straight away. He was staring up the top of the stairs. Erik cast his eyes upwards to see what Charles was looking at.

Peering round the corner was a young man with jet black hair. He was looking at them with nervous apprehension. Charles put his arm out to stop Erik from moving towards the young man.

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He tried again but still nothing. Charles then used his telepathy to tell Erik that he couldn’t speak. The older man was also having trouble talking.

‘Is that what you can do?’ Charles asked the young man.  
“You’re in my head?” the mutant asked.

The metal railing of the staircase suddenly fell off the wall.  
‘Erik, don’t’ Charles voice was in his friend’s mind.

“That’s your power?” Erik spoke. “You can stop people talking?”  
“Yes” he replied. “Did you do that?” he pointed to the metal railing.  
“I did” Erik replied.  
“Can we talk?” Charles asked.

The young mutant took a tentative step towards them.  
“What are you doing here?” he asked. Erik and Charles exchanged a look.

***

The new recruits got along well enough. Their latest arrival had turned up with the clothes on his back and nothing else. He didn’t give away many details about his life and kept himself very guarded. When someone pushed or asked too many questions, he used his ability to silence them.  
Charles was forced to take him aside one day and have a talk with him.

After their talk, Johnny was kinder to his fellow recruits. Charles kept an eye on him but didn’t get any more trouble from him.

***

After Shaw’s attack on the CIA base, Charles and Raven took all the recruits back to Westchester. It was around this time that Charles began to notice a change in Johnny. He became even more guarded (if that were possible) and started spending more and more time on his own.  
Charles tried, just once, to peer into his mind and was surprised to find it blocked. He’d never had this problem before, not with another mutant who wasn’t a telepath like him.

He found it very disconcerting so he tried to distance himself from Johnny. Charles spent a great deal of time helping Hank, Alex and Sean hone their abilities but he assigned Erik to help Johnny.  
Erik wasn’t overly happy about the arrangement but he agreed for Charles’ sake. He never once asked his friend why he wasn’t comfortable around Johnny and Charles never volunteered an explanation.

*

One morning Erik awoke to find an extremely quiet house. He yawned and climbed out of bed. Erik showered and dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast. Charles was in the Kitchen cooking breakfast.

‘Morning Charles’ Erik said the words but nothing came out of his mouth.  
Charles simply nodded his head in response. It was his way of saying ‘we can’t speak’  
‘Charles?’ Erik tried again.

The telepath tapped his hand upon the counter. Erik looked down and spotted a piece of paper. He picked it up and read the words that Charles had written.  
‘Johnny’s gone and he’s taken our ability to talk with him’ he looked up at Charles.

‘Can’t you?’ Erik lifted his hand and placed his finger to his temple.  
Charles shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He reached out and took the paper from Erik before scribbling more words.  
‘I can’t hear anything’ he wrote. ‘I can’t sense him or what anyone is thinking… I’ve never not been able to hear’

Erik reached out and placed his hand on Charles’ shoulder.  
The telepath looked into his friends eyes.  
‘I’m scared’  
Erik didn’t need to be able to hear to understand those words. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Charles, trying to reassure him that everything would be okay.

For the longest time, neither one of them moved. There was something so serene about this very moment. Neither of them could speak but words weren’t needed. Charles closed his eyes, wishing he could know what the other man was thinking.

The kettle began to boil and Charles was forced to let go. He turned around and started to make tea. He made one cup for himself and one for Erik. It was almost a ritual by now; the two of them would sit down to a cup of tea before the younger mutants would rouse from their slumber.

Charles carried both cups to the table and sat down. Erik followed suit and sat down opposite his friend. Since neither of them could speak, they didn’t know what else to do. The younger man considered going for the chess board but it was too early in the morning for that.  
He was surprised when Erik reached out and placed his hand on top of his. Charles looked up and their eyes met. There was so much he wanted to say right now but couldn’t. He’d never been restricted like this before.

Erik could feel Charles’ frustration but it didn’t bother him… Not yet anyway. He’d never been a very verbal person so he was used to extended silences. But he could imagine how hard this would be for Charles.  
They drank their tea then Erik took their cups and placed them in the sink. He picked up the pad of paper and a pen then began writing. Once he was done, he slid it in front of Charles. The telepath looked down at it.

‘We should wake the kids and tell them what’s happened’  
Charles read the words and nodded his head in agreement. Erik started writing again.  
‘How should we do this?’

Charles considered this for a moment. He pointed to himself and said ‘Raven. Hank’ then pointed to Erik. ‘Alex. Sean’  
Erik shook his head then twisted his finger, indicating for them to do it the other way around. Charles frowned but agreed.

He flipped to a new page in the notebook and wrote very carefully, slowly and neatly. Once he was done, he turned the page and rewrote the same words. He tore one page off and handed it to Erik before taking the other for himself.

The two of them then left the Kitchen and made their way upstairs. Raven’s room was first and Erik stopped. He knocked on the door then remembered that she wouldn’t be able to answer him. He pushed the door open and the first thing he noticed was the empty bed… It hadn’t even been slept in.  
He tried to keep this from Charles but the younger man was right behind him.

There was a brief moment where neither of them knew what to do. Was it possible that Johnny had kidnapped her? Charles didn’t want to consider that as he had no way of finding them. The only other option was that she’d spent the night in someone else’s room.  
Charles began to get angry… Which Erik found very humorous.  
The telepath stormed off, ranting and raving as he went but since he couldn’t speak all Erik could see was some very awkward hand movements. He hurried to catch up with his friend, knowing exactly where Charles was heading.

They walked down the hall, Charles seeming to have forgotten he was meant to be waking Alex and Sean. He didn’t bother knocking on the door to Hank’s room. He simply threw it open and marched inside.  
Both Raven and Hank were asleep on Hank’s bed. They were fully clothed, having obviously fallen asleep while in the midst of a conversation. Erik couldn’t help but admire how unique Raven looked when in her true form.

Charles was still ranting but neither of them could hear him. Erik swiftly reached out and grabbed hold of his friend. He pulled Charles towards him and forced the younger man to look at him.  
‘Go’ he said. Then he pointed to himself and the couple on the bed. He was clearly saying ‘leave this to me, they’ve done nothing wrong’  
The telepath didn’t look convinced but he reluctantly agreed. He was still ranting as he walked out of the room, leaving the door open as he went.

Erik decided to handle this his way. He walked over and gently shook Raven; she awoke with a start and immediately sat up. The sudden movement caused Hank to wake up too.  
The look on each of their faces was priceless. Hank looked embarrassed beyond words while Raven was furious. She opened her mouth to let him have a piece of her mind but no sound came out. Erik immediately held the piece of paper out to her.  
Hank leaned over and read it over her shoulder. Once she’d finished, she looked up at Erik.

‘Charles?’ she asked.  
‘Alex and Hank’ He replied, pointing to the note. He hoped she’d understand what he was trying to say.  
He took the paper from her and pointed to the last line. It said to come downstairs for breakfast so they could deal with it as a group.

Raven nodded to Erik then turned and gave Hank a quick kiss on the cheek. She slid off the bed and hurried from the room. Once she was gone, Erik turned his attention to Hank who was still a dark shade of red.  
‘Charles knows’ Erik said. He spoke slowly and clearly, hoping Hank would understand him. ‘About this’ he pointed to the bed then in the direction Raven had gone. Hank’s eyes went wide with fear. He was not looking forward to having to explain himself to Charles.

*

By the time he’d woken Alex and Sean then made his way back down stairs, Charles was still fuming. Raven was his sister and it was his responsibility to keep her safe… Not that Hank was dangerous of course.  
The telepath was muttering to himself when he walked into the Kitchen and found his sister sitting at the table. She was holding a glass of juice in her hand and smiling at him as though nothing were wrong.

Despite not being able to speak, Charles still let loose a long lecture. He held her gaze, hoping she could read his lips and know what he was saying but at the same time, he was just getting it all off his chest. His lips were barely still as he ranted on and on while finishing the preparations for breakfast.  
Erik walked in and pulled up a chair next to Raven. He too watched as Charles moved around the Kitchen, his mouth and his hands moving a mile a minute. Neither one of them had a clue what he was saying but they both found it amusing.  
Raven picked up a pen and wrote on one of the pads of paper on the table. She slid the note over to Erik. He looked down at what she’s written.  
‘He’s so cute when he’s angry… and I don’t have to listen to him’  
Erik smiled and nodded his head in agreement before pocketing the note. The last thing he wanted was for Charles to know how amusing they found him.

He was still venting when Alex and Sean ventured into the Kitchen. He brought the food to the table and they all sat down to eat. Hank sneaked in at the last minute, refusing to meet Charles’ eye.  
It was unusual for it to be so quiet during a meal. The group all ate their food, finding it awkward when they met someone’s eye and not being able to say anything.

When Erik needed sugar for his coffee, he used his ability to send his spoon across the table and back to his cup. Others weren’t as lucky and often found themselves struggling to indicate what they needed.  
Charles watched each of them. He raised his cup to his lips and took a sip of his tea. When his eyes met Hank’s, the younger man quickly looked away.

The telepath slammed his cup down on the table, breaking the handle. The noise caused all eyes in the room to turn to him. He was ranting again, his eyes flicking between Raven and Hank. He was gesturing wildly once more.  
Erik raised his coffee cup to his own lips to mask his smile.

With a click of his fingers, he sent his spoon towards Charles and straight into the telepath’s open mouth. This caused Charles to stutter and choke. He spat it out and glared at Erik who simply shrugged. A part of him was thinking he could get used to this.

*

Once they’d finished breakfast, they all met in Hank’s lab. Charles pulled one of the chalkboards to the middle of the room and stood in front of it. He wasn’t entirely sure what to write or how to handle this. He stood in front of it, his arms folded across his chest.

Sean was the first to react. He walked over to the chalkboard and started writing.  
‘How do we get our voices back?’ he stepped back and let everyone read what he’d written.

They all started talking at once though none of them could be heard. Charles met Sean’s eye and simply shrugged his shoulders. He picked up the chalk and wrote a response.  
‘We need Johnny to come back’

Raven held up her hand, she was scribbling on the pad of paper she’d brought with her from the Kitchen. When she finished writing, she held up the pad.  
‘What if he doesn’t come back? Will we be stuck like this?’  
Charles simply shrugged his shoulders again.  
‘Can Hank fix this?’ Raven wrote. ‘With his science stuff?’  
‘How?’ Erik asked but Alex was the only one looking at him.

‘Unless Johnny comes back, there’s nothing we can do’ Charles wrote on the board.  
Alex walked over and took the chalk.  
‘Do you think he’ll come back?’ he wrote.

Sean took the pad of paper from Raven and started scribbling on it. He handed it to Charles.  
‘Why doesn’t your power work?’ Charles read.

The telepath turned back to the board and wiped it clean. Then he attempted to answer Sean’s question.  
‘Something is blocking my ability to read minds. I can’t sense anyone or anything. I don’t know why this has happened’

They all exchanged nervous looks.  
‘Can we still train?’ Alex wrote underneath Charles words.  
‘We have to’ Charles wrote in response. ‘Nothing changes. We carry on like this is not a problem’

Erik read the words Charles had written then stormed out of the room. They all watched him go but we unable to call him back. Raven hurried after him, leaving Charles with the others. Alex and Sean were the next to leave.

Charles found himself alone with Hank for the first time. The younger mutant refused to look at him. He walked over to one of the tables and sat down, pulling his microscope towards him. Charles took a step towards him then stopped. He shook his head then left the room. Once he was gone, Hank finally released the breath he’d been holding.

***

The next few days proved to be tough, frustrating and awkward. It took a lot of getting used to, not being able to speak to each other. Each time they started training, Charles was never able to find Sean but he let it go. When one couldn’t talk, it sometimes proved hard to use one’s ability.  
Charles was spared having to do any of his own training, not that he’d been doing much.

There were a lot more accident occurring too. When Alex got particularly frustrated he tended to lose control of his ability. Luckily he spent most of his time outside so no serious damage was ever caused.  
Erik also had a tendency to lose his temper too. One morning when Charles came down to breakfast, he was surprised to find all the cutlery impaled in the ceiling. It had been difficult to reprimand Erik when he couldn’t actually yell at him.

Moira had stopped by to check on their progress and had been surprised to find none of them could talk. She had promised not to pass this titbit of information onto the CIA in the hopes that it would be rectified soon.

Despite not being able to talk, Erik and Charles still sat down to a game (or three) of chess each night. They kept a notepad beside the board but rarely used it. There was nothing but comfortable silence surrounding them. At times, they’d simply look up and their eyes would meet. A smile would be exchanged and they’d return to their game. When it was time to say goodnight, they stopped using formal handshakes and shared a brief hug.

Charles looked forward to this parting of ways each night. He hated not being able to use his abilities and felt like he’d lost a part of himself. The only consolation was that he and Erik seemed to have found a more intimate way of communicating. Words weren’t needed as they seemed to be able to say so much more to each other with just a simple embrace.

Each night, Charles would lie in bed and try desperately hard to make his abilities come back to him. He basically stared up at the ceiling and tried to think of ways to fix what had happened to them but by morning, he’d be no closer to an answer.  
Erik was also becoming frustrated. Not by the fact that he couldn’t speak, he was used to a quiet existence. He just couldn’t stand the fact that the mansion was always quiet. He’d never been fully comfortable with complete silence, thanks to Shaw. So it was very disconcerting that a house full of kids was silent.

Five days passed and they were still unable to determine a way to get there voices back. This particular morning, Charles went looking for Erik and was surprised to find him in the Library. Erik never ventured in there before lunch and usually when he did, it was only when he was looking for Charles.  
The telepath stopped just shy of the doorway, looking at his friend. Erik was curled up on the couch with a book in his lap and he was examining the pages closely. Charles couldn’t help but smile at the intense expression of concentration on Erik’s face.

Charles knocked on the door to announce his arrival. Erik looked up and smiled at him in greeting. It was becoming second nature not to open one’s mouth in greeting when they couldn’t speak so there was always a lot of smiling going on. Charles secretly liked it, he’d never realized jus how many different smiles Erik had. If this hadn’t happened, he may never have learned such a thing about his friend.  
The telepath crossed the room and sat down next to Erik. He was holding a notebook in his hand and he started to fill the page with his scrawl. Erik waited, patiently until he finished then smiled when Charles handed to note to him.

‘I think Johnny may still be around somewhere. Most abilities don’t have lingering side-effects so for his power to still be affecting us, he must be close by’  
Erik thought about it for a moment before holding his hand out. Charles handed the pen to him.  
‘If you plant an idea or thought into someone’s mind, doesn’t it stay there? Johnny’s ability shouldn’t be any different’

Charles read Erik’s reply and his face fell. The one hope he’d been clinging to and Erik was trying to take it away from him. If Johnny was still around, for whatever reason, then they could find him and make him reverse it.  
Erik saw the way Charles reacted and he placed a sympathetic hand on his friend’s arm. Without thinking, Charles placed his own hand atop of Erik’s and they both sat on the couch, staring down at the notebook.

The next time Charles looked up, their eyes locked and they stared at each other for a long time. After Erik moved past his first thought (of just how blue his friend’s eyes were), he found himself staring ever deeper and he saw the fear that Charles was hiding from the others. He wondered how he’d not seen it before then he realized that Charles had obviously been hiding it from him too.  
Since he wasn’t sure what else to do and he couldn’t use any encouraging words, Erik moved his hand and slid is around Charles’ shoulder. He pulled his friend to him and hugged him. For a moment, he was worried that it would feel awkward but it didn’t. Charles leaned into his embrace and rested his head on Erik’s shoulder. They sat together in absolute silence for several long minutes… Not once did the eerie silence bother Erik.

It felt like he held Charles for hours yet when the telepath pulled away, it felt like it had been mere seconds. The sudden loss of contact made Erik feel sad until he realized that his friend was staring at him, gazing intently into his eyes.  
Their faces were mere centimetres apart and Erik’s breath caught in his throat. Had he been able to speak he didn’t think he’d be able to form any words. He slowly reached up and gently brushed his index finger along Charles’ cheek.

A slight tremor ran through Charles’ entire body and he wished, not for the first time, that he still had use of his abilities. As it was, his mind was shouting, yelling, screaming… Begging Erik to kiss him. Of course if he’d been able to use his ability then Erik would have known exactly what Charles wanted. For now his friend could only guess and Charles could see the hesitation on his face.  
Charles knew that he could take control… That he could lean forward and close the space between them but he seemed unable to move. He was frozen in place, waiting for Erik to make the first move.

The door opened with a loud bang as it collided with the wall and both Erik and Charles sprang apart. Charles immediately stared down at the floor to hide his embarrassment while Erik looked around in frustration, determine to confront whoever had dared disturb them.

Hank froze and immediately tried not to meet Charles’ gaze which proved easy since Charles was content to stare at the floor. Hank and Charles still hadn’t quite resolved their differences over what had happened between Hank and Raven.  
Once the younger man had come to his senses, he started waving his arms and gesturing wildly. From what Erik could tell one of the kids had been hurt. He grabbed Charles by the arm and the two of them hurried after Hank.

*

Sean was okay but it had been a close call. Alex had been outside, attempting to work off some of his anger and frustration when he’d accidently lost control of his ability. His power had sprung up and shot across the lawn, knocking over several trees. However, Sean had been sitting near one of those trees at the time and one of the smaller upended tree trunks had landed on top of him.  
Sean wasn’t mad at Alex. He understood it was an accident and that Alex hadn’t meant to hurt him. 

Under other circumstances it would have been funny; Alex tried again and again to apologize to Sean but he didn’t feel the message was getting across. Sean didn’t blame Alex at all but it was difficult to tell him that when none of them could speak.  
There was much debating as to wether or not Sean needed to see a doctor. In the end, they decided his injuries weren’t too bad but if he started to show signs of serious injuries then they would take him into town.

Hank offered to drive Alex into town to pick up some supplies (and gifts to ease his guilt). Raven decided to go along. Charles didn’t want to leave Sean alone but he didn’t want the others to go without supervision. After much begging and pleading, Erik agreed to accompany them.  
Charles smiled at his friend and petted him on the arm. Their eyes locked and for a moment, neither of them moved. It was obvious they were both remembering what had happened (or had been about to happen) before Hank had disturbed them.

Erik was the first to move. He picked up his jacket and followed Raven from the room. Charles walked over to the window and watched them as they walked along the path and over to the car.

But Charles wasn’t the only one watching them leave.

*

Johnny was watching from a safe distance. He counted the four of them, saw each of them climb into the car. He was certain that Charles and Sean were the only two people left in the mansion. Since he wasn’t sure where they were going or how long they’d be gone, he knew he needed to act fast.

*

Charles walked down the hall and knocked on the door to Sean’s room. He pushed the door open and went inside. The younger man was sitting on his bed, a book open in his lap but he wasn’t reading it.

The telepath walked over to him and held up a piece of paper.  
‘Did you need anything?’ Sean read. He shook his head. Charles turned the page over. ‘Everyone went out. I’ll be in the Library if you need me’  
Sean nodded his head in understanding.

Charles smiled then walked away. He left the door open on his way out then continued along the hall and down the stairs. He then made his way through the large empty house and into the Library.  
The first thing he noticed was the metal wastepaper basket. It had somehow managed to fold entirely in upon itself. Charles shook his head but was smiling. This whole ordeal was difficult for all of them and they all had their own way of coping. Secretly, he liked finding things that Erik had been messing with.

If Charles hadn’t been staring at the bin so intently, they never would have been able to sneak up on him…  
One minute, Charles was staring at the destroyed bin and the next he couldn’t move. 

For a moment, he thought it was Sean playing a trick on him but the person holding him was taller and stronger than Sean. His arms were pinned to his sides and try as he might, he couldn’t break free. Instinctively, he called out for help but no sound came from his mouth.

“Hello Charles”

It was the first voice he’d heard for days and, for a moment, he couldn’t place whom it belonged to. He was still trying to break free when someone stepped around him. Charles was now face to face with Johnny.  
The relief he felt was short lived. Johnny was still here which meant he could reverse what he’d done to them… But Charles and Sean were the only ones in the mansion and Sean was unaware of their visitor.

“Charles” Johnny continued. “I’d like you to meet my brother”

The telepath was thrown; face first, onto the floor. He immediately rolled over and looked up at the person who had been holding him. There was no mistaking the familiarity. Whoever this man was, he was clearly related to Johnny.

“My older brother” Johnny continued. “His ability is much like your own… That’s why you were never able to sense him. And it’s why you can’t use your power right now”  
‘How does it feel to be so powerless?’  
The voice echoed inside Charles’ head. He told himself to remain calm but he couldn’t help understanding the double meaning behind the question. He was outnumbered and his abilities couldn’t help him.

“Derek” Johnny addressed his brother. “We don’t have long”

*

Sean sighed and tossed his book aside. He looked at the clock and sighed again. It had been barely ten minutes since Charles had come to check on him and he’d sent him away. Now his head was pounding and he wanted something to make it stop.

He had been told to rest but there was no way he would be able to with his head hurting like this. He slid off the bed, his legs protesting, but he moved forward. Sean made his way along the hall then bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. There he poured himself a glass of water but realized that he didn’t know where Charles kept the aspirin.  
He placed the glass on the table then walked towards the Library.

The door was closed but he didn’t see the point in knocking. Charles wasn’t going to be able to answer him. As he reached out for the door knob, he could hear voices coming from inside so he stopped.

‘Charles?’ he asked… No sound came from his own mouth so he wondered who the voices belonged to.

Sean pushed the door open and froze in shock.  
Had he still been holding the glass in his hand, he was sure he would have dropped and smashed it.

It all happened so fast. Johnny was there and he wasn’t alone. Sean had no idea who the stranger was but it was clear that he was hurting Charles. All three were in a state of undress but from the look on Charles’ face, he was putting up a strong fight.

Sean wasn’t sure what to do. He knew he had to help Charles but he didn’t know how… He wasn’t strong enough to take on Johnny and his friend but he couldn’t just stand there.  
He could see Charles struggling, fighting, crying.

Sean opened his mouth and screamed. His sonic scream filled the room, echoing back and smashing all the glass in the room. All three men fell to the floor and Sean screamed again. He remembered what he’d done last time, how he’d made both Charles and Moira feel sick with his scream so he focused and did it again.

He was still screaming when he felt someone push past him. It was Erik!  
The older man used his ability to lift Johnny and his friend to their feet and he sent them flying across the room. Both of them hit one of the bookshelves and landed on the floor with a loud thud.

Sean stopped and watched the way Erik took control. He ran over to Charles and pulled his friend into his arms. Charles tried to push him away but Erik wouldn’t be thrown off so easily.  
Erik, his arm still around Charles, used his ability to pick up every single item that was made of metal and sent it flying across the room. He could feel the small traces of metal in their blood and focused on heating them up. This caused Johnny to start screaming in pain.

Sean had never heard such pain and fear in his life.

“Erik,” Charles voice was low and shaking. “Stop”  
Erik could feel the anger in him rising.  
“Please?” Charles whispered. “Erik, stop”

Erik released them both and Sean saw all the tension leave Erik’s body. The anger remained on his face.

“I should kill you both” Erik growled at Johnny.

“Let us go” Johnny pleaded. “We won’t bother you again”  
“Johnny!” his brother warned him.  
“We were just… It was just a joke…”

“A joke?” Erik hissed. “You think this is funny?”  
“We didn’t mean… It was….” Johnny didn’t know what to say.

Sean was looking at Charles now. He watched as the Telepath raised his hand to his temple and closed his eyes.  
“You will both leave, now” Charles said. “You’ll forget this ever happened and you will never, ever come back”

“Charles” Erik tried to argue.

Charles opened his eyes and looked towards Erik. He wouldn’t quite meet his eyes.  
“Let them go, Erik” Charles said to his friend.

He didn’t want to. Erik wasn’t finished with them yet. He wanted to make them pay, to make them suffer for what they’d done… Not just to Charles but to all of them living in the mansion.  
‘Please, Erik?’ Charles’ voice was inside Erik’s mind and he felt himself giving in.

Erik released the two men. Johnny and his brother exchanged a look before both of them fled the room. Sean followed them all the way to the front door. As Johnny opened the door, Sean called out to him.  
“Don’t forget to fix the others”

When he returned to the Library, he found Charles sitting on the couch. His face was buried in his hands and Erik was pacing in front of him.  
“Charles, are you okay?” Sean asked him.  
“I’m fine, my friend… Thank you, Sean, for your help” Charles said.

The telepath was trembling. Sean wanted to approach him, to make sure that he was okay but Erik was standing between him and Charles. The look on Erik’s face told Sean that he wanted to talk to Charles alone.

“I… I’m going to be upstairs if you need me” Sean said. Charles nodded.  
“Sean?” Erik addressed him. “Not a word of this to anyone. Understood?”  
Sean nodded his head then turned and left.

Once they were alone, Erik moved back towards the couch and sat down next to Charles. It was such a relief to finally have their voices back but now Erik couldn’t think of what to say.

“Tell me what happened” Erik began. Charles was staring down at his hands.  
“Why did you come back?” Charles asked. “You were supposed to be with Raven and the others”  
“I did go with them but after five minutes in the car with them, I’d had enough. Voices or not, those kids can get on my nerves some times… I made Hank stop the car and I got out. I was walking back and was almost at the door when I heard Sean’s sonic scream”

“They came up behind me… I didn’t even hear them” Charles whispered. “I was staring at the bin, the one that you melted and… I was thinking about you, what you must have been feeling when you took your anger out on the defenceless bin… Then I couldn’t move… I heard Johnny and knew he wasn’t alone… His brother is like me, he was blocking my ability and that’s why I couldn’t sense him, he was hiding from me”  
“Why? Why would he hide from us?”  
“I don’t know… I guess we’ll never know”

They both fell silent. Charles didn’t want to say any more. He stared down at his hands. Erik reached up and slid his arm around Charles’ shoulders. His friend shrugged away from him.  
This hurt Erik. He continued to stare at Charles, out the corner of his eye.

“Charles” Erik’s voice was low, barely louder than a whisper. “Tell me what happened”  
Charles shook his head, he wouldn’t look at Erik.

“We should clean up in here” Charles stated as he climbed to his feet.  
Erik remained on the couch. He watched as his friend walked over to the window and examined the broken glass. Charles stared at it for the longest time. Neither one of them spoke.  
Eventually Charles moved away from the window and looked down at the ground. Erik watched him, closely. Then he looked down at the ground and saw what Charles was staring at.  
How had Erik failed to notice that Johnny had left his shirt behind?

“Charles?” Erik spoke up. “Let me…”  
He climbed to his feet and walked over to Charles.  
“I’ll clean this up… Why don’t you go upstairs?”  
Charles looked up at his friend. He didn’t say a word, simply nodded his head then left the room.

Once he was gone, Erik waved his hand and sent all the metal objects he’d moved earlier back to their right place. He then picked up the discarded shirt and found a belt too. He placed both of these items into the garbage then went in search of a broom which he used to sweep the glass up.  
He couldn’t repair the window so he left it alone.  
Erik left the Library and made his way up the stairs to check on Charles.

As he made his way along the corridor, he stopped and changed direction. Erik knocked on the door to Sean’s room then went inside.  
“Erik?” Sean greeted him. “How’s Charles?”  
“I don’t know” Erik replied. “I’m just about to… Check on him”  
“I didn’t know my sonic scream worked. I hadn’t tried to use it since we all lost our voices”  
“It was smart thinking… Doing what you did”  
“Charles was in trouble. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to help him”  
“You were very strong and very brave, Sean”  
“I just wish I hadn’t had to be… It never should have happened”  
“What did happen, Sean?”

The younger man looked up at Erik. This was possibly the first conversation he’d ever had with the older man. He wasn’t sure why Erik kept saying his name.  
“Why are you asking me?” Sean asked.  
“Because I want to hear it from you” Erik replied.  
“There’s not much to tell. I went downstairs then needed to ask Charles a question. I went to the Library and the door was closed. I could hear voices so I opened the door. Then I saw Johnny and the other guy… Charles was trying to fight them off but they were holding him tight and… They were touching him and taunting him… I saw tears in his eyes and I just… I screamed”  
“You did the right thing. I want you to know that I’m grateful for what you did for Charles… For protecting him when I couldn’t”  
“Is he going to be okay?”  
“Yes, Sean… Charles is going to be fine”

Erik didn’t say anything else. He offered a reassuring smile to the younger man then turned on his heel and walked away.

*

Charles was in his bedroom, sitting at the window seat. He’d pulled some of the sheets off his bed and had wrapped them around himself. Erik stood in the doorway, watching him in silence. His friend was staring out the window, Erik wished he could see Charles’ face but the angle he was standing made it impossible.

He knocked on the door, out of politeness, but walked straight in. Erik then pushed the door closed and moved through the room. Charles was still staring out the window and hadn’t acknowledged Erik’s arrival.  
Fearing he wasn’t going to get anything out of Charles, Erik moved as close to him as he dared then stopped. He sat down on the rumpled bed and continued to watch his friend.

‘I know you can hear me’ he thought to Charles. ‘Well, okay… I don’t *know* that since you promised you’d never read my mind without my permission so, for all I know, you can’t hear what I’m thinking… But I think you can’  
Erik couldn’t help but feel that since Charles had been without his abilities for days and now he had them back, he’d be on full alert… Especially given what had just happened downstairs.  
‘So, if you *can* hear me… I want you to know that I’m here for you and that I’m just going to sit here until you’re ready to talk to me’

Charles had heard everything Erik said but he kept his back to his friend as he continued to stare out the window. He wasn’t sure why he’d taken refuge by the window… It had seemed like a good idea at the time. He wanted to turn around and look at Erik… Acknowledge him in some way… Thank him for being there when he had been… He wanted Erik to know that he’d heard what he said but that he wanted him to leave… And he wanted him to stay. Charles didn’t want to be alone right now.

‘I talked to Sean’ Erik continued, non-verbally. ‘He’s a bit… Surprised by what happened but he’s assured me that he won’t divulge the details to anyone else. You know, the first time I met him I thought his ability was… Disappointing. Compared to what you and I can do at least. But his ability saved the day… No one else could have done what he had… Alex’s would have killed everyone in the room… But if Sean hadn’t screamed, I never would have… I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner, Charles’  
‘It’s not your fault’ Charles replied.

Erik stood up and walked over to his friend. He sank down onto the window seat beside Charles.  
“It wasn’t your fault either” Erik assured him.  
He reached out and placed his hand upon Charles’ shoulder. The telepath immediately flinched away.  
“It’s okay… I’m not going to hurt you, Charles”  
“I know”

“They’re gone, Charles. And they won’t be back” Erik whispered.  
“That doesn’t change what they did” Charles replied.  
“What did they do? How far did they…?”  
“No, Erik… It’s not…” he sighed. “Without my abilities…. I’m useless”  
“Don’t say that”  
“But it’s true… What if they had come here and attacked Raven? I never would have been able to stop them… If Sean hadn’t…”

“It’s okay” Erik said. “It’s over now…”  
“If I can’t even protect myself, how am I supposed to protect my family? Or these recruits?”  
“They may be children, Charles but they’re more than capable of looking after themselves”  
Without thinking, Erik slid his arm around his friend and pulled him into a hug. The telepath closed his eyes and leaned into the embrace.

He knew it was silly but he felt safe in Erik’s arms.  
“Without my abilities, I’m nothing” Charles whispered.  
“Charles”  
“I need to be better… I have to be able to protect myself and the people I love”  
“I will always be here to protect you, Charles”  
“That’s not enough, Erik… I need to learn how to fight”

Erik could hear the determination in his friend’s voice. The thought of Charles physically fighting someone was almost laughable. His friend wasn’t capable of hurting a fly but things were different now.

“Erik… Please?” Charles whispered. “Can you teach me how to fight?”  
“No, Charles” Erik replied. “I won’t teach you how to fight… But I will teach you to defend yourself”  
“Thank you”

That was the end of the conversation. The two of them sat together in silence. Erik’s arm was still around Charles but neither of them had any intention of moving. Even when Raven and the others returned to the mansion, cheering and celebrating the return of their voices, still Erik and Charles remained where they were.  
Erik wanted to ask Charles if he was going to tell Raven what had happened but he already knew the answer. His friend was embarrassed by what Johnny had tried to do to him. Erik was mad at himself for leaving Charles in a position to be hurt.  
He’d promised Charles that he would teach him how to defend himself but Erik also made himself a promise. He promised himself that Charles would never need to (defend himself) because Erik would always be there for him, no matter what.


End file.
